A Spanish football player landed himself in hot water when eagle-eyed viewers noticed him amongst away supporters during Liverpool's 4-0 win over Barcelona at Anfield.
Xemi Fernandez, an attacking midfielder for Catalonian team Lleida, spent a season at Barcelona B from 2016-2017 before having a short spell at Oxford United.
Although he returned to Spain in 2018 it appears he couldn't resist a quick trip back to England to watch his ex-side in action, and he was caught on camera looking disconsolate as his beloved Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League.
To add insult to injury it appears he attended the match without his club's permission, and as a result according to Catalan media he has been dropped from the first team and fined for his actions.
Lleida are three points off the playoff places in the league with two games to go, and the club clearly felt there was no excuse for Xemi's brief holiday at such an important stage of their season.
The 24-year-old allegedly kept his trip a secret, not telling any of his teammates of his plans, but his cover was blown when he was caught by television cameras at the game.
The incident is a similar one to that of Dutch second-tier player Jordie van der Laan, who was sacked by his club Telstar after pretending to be ill so he could travel to London to watch Ajax's first-leg Champions League victory over Tottenham .
Longlife2000
266
That’s bullshit to fine him The fact that he’s no longer a Barcelona player doesn’t mean he can’t watch our matches This nonsense has to stop
MRCOOL
136
This is disgrace. Why do the clubs need to know everything. He did not do anything silly over there. He was there as a fan not as a professional footballer.
fmukwa
56
did any of you bother to analyse the facts, he was fined for travelling and attending a match in england from Spain without his employers' consent. most players have clauses in their contracts which forbid them from specific activities such as riding a motorcycle, boarding a plane, travelling certain distances without notifying the employer. this is because players are bought for huge amounts n these are club assets n investments. what about breaking camp , it was a Tuesday night,don't forget players are given strict regimes as how to train,what to eat and how many hours of sleep are required. how would he meet all these conditions if he was in england at Enfield? That's why he was fined.
Dodcampns
20
That’s bullshit to fine him The fact that he’s no longer a Barcelona player doesn’t mean he can’t watch our matches This nonsense has to stop
That wasn’t the issue. He is a player and his team are in a crucial period of making the playoffs. He lied and skipped out on training and was than caught red handed. How would you feel if a Barca player skipped out on training by lying and going to watch another team play? The issue isn’t him supporting a different team it’s that he skipped out during a crucial period for the team.
Meucdilnty
9
That’s bullshit to fine him The fact that he’s no longer a Barcelona player doesn’t mean he can’t watch our matches This nonsense has to stop
it's not Barca that fined him... and he's not s Barca player... learn to read.